


Slayer Twice Bitten

by Holly_Pocket



Category: Bitten (TV), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Darkest Powers - Kelley Armstrong, Women of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Multi, Prophecy, Reunions, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-09-28 22:06:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20433206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holly_Pocket/pseuds/Holly_Pocket
Summary: The Scoobie Gang meets The Pack. Something big is going on. I suck at summaries.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bitten, Women of the Otherworld, or The Darkest Powers. I know the summary sucks, sorry, but give it a try anyway.

7 p.m.

"Why are we here again?" asks a grumpy nick.

Elena sighs at having to explain this again for the 5th time. "Something is killing Supernaturals. It’s our job to find out what and stop them."

"And when is Oz joining us?" clay asks the frustrated female. 'Elena is always easier to deal with when Oz is around. He calms her.' clay mentally sighs as he tries to tune out Elena and nicks bickering. 'Of course if nick would stop antagonizing her that would help.' "Nick," clay finally barks, "lay off. I know you're hungry, we all are, but you're not helping."

Nick looks thoroughly chastised. “Sorry Clay. I’ll go get our bags.” Nick takes off toward baggage claim. “Why do you always let him get to you Ele?”

Elena sighs, “I don’t know Clay. I try not to but I can’t help it.” Elena shakes her head. “Anyway, I’ll go get the rental and meet you both out front.” She starts to walk away but quickly turns back, “oh and Oz is due in before dark. We’ll be able to start the hunt tonight.”

***

8 p.m.

Buffy continues walking, right through the dust that is the vamp she just staked. Ignoring the sharp gasp of the girl she'd just saved, Buffy addressed her companion. "All I’m saying Dawnie is that this place is just as active as Sunnydale." Buffy beheaded a newly made vamp as it crawls from its grave.

"I know Buff," sighs dawn, "but for a girl my age it's incredibly boring. I need something to do."

"Well," Buffy replies, looking around the cemetery one last time, "maybe you should try to make some friends at your new school."

***

9 p.m.

“H-hey, you’re Dawn, r-right?” a girl stutters.

Dawn looks up at the voice. The girl was small, short with a slender build. Her blonde hair was cut in a pixie style and she had large blue eyes with dark circles under them. “Yeah, I’m Dawn.” Dawn swore the girl looked familiar.

“Great,” her voice brightened. “Professor Flutie s-said I c-could get this p-past w-weeks assignments f-fr-from you,” the frequency of her stutter increased. “I-I’m Chloe by the w-way.”

Dawn suddenly realized why this girl seemed familiar. Not only were they in several of the same courses but a while back Dawn had seen Chloe and a very large, rather attractive –if you’re into that kind of thing- guy at a local club. “Yeah, we have a couple classes together. Here,” Dawn passes Chloe her notebook, “you can copy my notes.”

Chloe smiles, “thanks.”

As Chloe writes Dawn keeps thinking about seeing her at the club. “That guy,” Dawn breaks the silence, “the one you were with at the club, is he your boyfriend?”

Chloe looks up with a smile, “which one?”

“There’s more than one?” Dawn askes surprised.

“Kind of,” Chloe nods, “there’s my boyfriend and there’s his brother.”

Dawn’s mouth pops open in an ‘oh’, “um, big guy, dar..”

Chloe nods, “yeah, that’s Derek, my boyfriend.”

“How did you know I was meaning him? If they are brothers and all I mean.”

“Well Simon is tall but he’d never be considered big,” Chloe chuckles. “Plus you started to say ‘dark hair’ right?” At Dawn’s nod she continues, “Simon is a total blonde.”

“Blonde?”

“Yeah, Simon and Derek are adopted brothers.”

“I guess I can’t really judge. My sister is a blonde too, while I am obviously on the darker side of brown.” Dawn shrugs, then changes topic a bit. “So is Derek cuter than Simon?”

Chloe can’t help but grin, “well I think he is but Simon has always been the heart throb; especially when we were teens.”

“So how did you end up with Derek? It sounds like you really like Simon.”

“Oh I do,” she acknowledged, “and I did pick Simon first, but one kiss was all it took to know he wasn’t the one.” Chloe laughs, “in fact it was Simon that told me I loved Derek, after that failed kiss.”

Dawn’s face showed her surprise, “wow, Simon sounds really cool. They both do.”

“They really are. You know,” Chloe finished copying the notes and handed the notebook back, “if you want to hang out sometime I’ll introduce you to Simon.”

Dawn’s smile spread across her face, “that’d be cool; hanging out, not just meeting Simon.”

“Yeah,” Chloe smirks and nods. “We are going out tonight, you should join us.”

Dawn got the details and the two said goodbye.

Neither girl realized that something was about to happen that would change their worlds forever.


	2. Chapter 2

3 a.m.

"Kennedy, you need to stop going rogue. You’re the lead Slayer here in New York; you should be setting a better example for the NTS (Newly Trained Slayers)." Willow couldn’t help her exasperation at the younger girl, but it couldn’t completely disguise her fear.

Kennedy draped her arm across her girlfriend’s shoulders and smiled. "Wills, come on, that guy wasn’t very tough. I can handle myself with the ‘big bad’."

Willow sighs, "it’s not about whether you can handle yourself or not. What if one of the NTS decided they could handle themselves and instead got killed?" Willow softened her voice, "you need to think about your actions and how they affect the people in your life."

Kennedy finally got it. Finally saw the fear and worry in her lovers eyes. "I’m sorry Wills. I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m not going to leave you anytime soon. Got it?" Kennedy lifted Willows eyes to meet her own before giving her a gentle kiss. She turned to the quickly filling room. "Attention maggots, from now on you go everywhere with a buddy." She could see the questions coming and raised a hand to stall them. "And yes I mean EVERYWHERE. Get used to having somebody by your side at all times. You are responsible for each other. You have her back and she has yours, always. Now pair up and let’s start training."

Willow shook her head at her girlfriend’s antics and walked out of the room. She wondered how the others were doing. She hoped they were safe. Then she thought no more as everything went black.

***

2 a.m.

Giles rushed into command central quickly followed by a sleepy Andrew. "Sir, there was a breach in one of the security cells," called out a young girl sitting at a computer monitor.

"Who was on duty?" Giles asked hurrying over.

"Gina, she was hurt bad, but she’s not dead."

"Which cell was breached?" Andrew yawned.

"Vampire, cell 2B; calls himself Fang." Under her breath she adds, "Kind of lame if you ask me."

Andrew stifles a chuckle and Giles hides a smile.

"What’s the status now?"

"He’s dead. The UV lights got him."

Giles cleaned his lenses, "he made it all the way to the elevator?"

"2B was the only occupied cell in that corridor, so Gina was the only guard on duty."

"Okay," Giles nodded, and then clapped Andrew on the shoulder. "Bring me the file on 2B, than go through the video and figure out how the breach occurred."

Andrew nodded, "right, I’ll get on that immediately." Before he could move more than a couple of steps, Andrew’s world went dark.

***

3 a.m.

"When facing a demon or vampire it is important to remember that you, the Slayer, are always at a disadvantage. It’s your job to keep the innocents safe, but the demons don’t care. They only want to cause pain and destruction. "As Robin lectured, Faith kept a vampire occupied. "You can tell a lot about a vamp by how they fight. What can you tell me about this one?"

"I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say he is majorly brassed off," one NTS spoke.

The three NTS laugh as Faith dodges a blow that sends the vamp into a headstone. "Hey, brain dead, Slayer with years of experience," Faith points to herself before pointing at the other three girls, "Slayers with little to no training. If you want something to eat, eat them."

The vamp looked between Faith and the NTS, and then lunged at the closest girl. The girls screamed and scattered completely forgetting the little training they’d gotten. "In my day girls, Slayer training was do or die, so Do or Die. You’ve got stakes, holy water, crosses, and each other; that is more than I usually had."

Robin spoke as he and Faith sat watching the antics in front of them. "Have you heard from any of the others lately?"

"No, but it’s not really surprising. They probably don’t expect us to have any problems here in Cleveland. It may be a Hellmouth but it’s the exact opposite of Sunnydale." Faith climbed to her feet, calling out as she moved forward. "Great job girls, next time I expect you to be able to do that in half the time. Am I right Wood?" Faith turned when she didn’t get a response, only to find her companion lying unnaturally still on the ground. "Robin!"


	3. Chapter 3

Clay walked into the club and the strangest sensation caressed his skin. He stopped not far inside the door and looked around. He couldn’t see anything that would give him that weird feeling. As he stood there Nick and Elena entered behind him. They too stopped just inside the doors as the unknown sensation washed over them. Elena stepped up level with Clay asking, "Did you feel that? What was it?"

Clay glanced to his left at Elena, then to his right at Nick. "Yeah, I felt it too," he finally admitted. "I don’t know what it was." Clay motioned the others to follow him to a secluded table nearby.

They were just sitting down when Oz walked through the door. The trio watched as Oz paused, eyes on the ground, and then smiled. His head lifted and he immediately sought out his mate. As his eyes landed on her his smile shifted, it was softer, full of love and adoration. Elena smiled back and motioned him over. However, Oz turned away from the group of friends. They watched as he approached a girl sitting alone in a darkened corner.

***

Buffy was sitting in a dark corner enjoying the music when she felt an odd sensation brush across her hip. She instantly perked up, bemused, ‘what the hell?’ logically she knew it was impossible that someone and actually touched her. The stool she sat on was pulled into the corner with her back leaning against the wall. The table in front of her held a lone sweating glass of water with a straw. No one had intruded on her privacy; chances were no one even knew she was there. She felt the sensation brush over her again, this time simultaneously on her arm and leg. After having experienced the feeling multiple times she realized it was oddly familiar. ‘Why would this be familiar?’ Buffy cast her eyes around the dimly lit space. As her eyes passed the entry way, her gaze landed on a familiar face and she was hit with the feeling once more, again on her leg. ‘Oh,’ she suddenly remembered where she’d felt this before. ‘Oz’s presence always brought on that brushing sensation.’ She watched as Oz scanned the crowed, his eyes landing on a small group and he smiled. The only girl at the table waved him over but Oz turned away, towards her. As he got closer Buffy waved and as he sat across from her she said, "hey Oz."

"Buffy"

"It’s been a long time. Ho have you been? Where have you been? What have you been... up to?" Oz chuckled, at her multiple questions and the pause when she asked what he’d been up to. "I’ve been good, been all over, although lately in New York, and I’ve been up to werewolf stuff."

Buffy smiled, glad to know her friend was good and happy to hear him talk so much at one time.

"There’s a lot I need to tell you about," he glanced over his shoulder. "Why don’t you come join me? I’ll introduce my new friends and I can give everyone an explanation.

Clay watched as Oz led the woman toward their table. His eyes were glued to her. Watching the way she purposefully placed each step and yet it was like she was floating. Her head was held high, eyes constantly moving, seeing everything. The way her hips swayed. Every movement screamed confidence and strength but she was femininity personified. ‘She is perfect,’ he thought. His wolf agreed, ‘mine,’ it growled.

As the pair reached the table clay tried not to stare, instead he focused on Oz as he started to speak. "Buffy, this is Nick, Elena, and Clay," he pointed to indicate each person as he spoke their name. "Guys this is Buffy." There was admiration in his voice and when clay looked Oz in the face he could see it there in his eyes. A surge of jealousy went through him. ‘Why does he have that look? What is between them?’

Clay’s internal seething was cut off as Buffy spoke, "so how do you all know Oz?" she started to grab a chair from another table, but Oz just nudged her into the remaining one at the table. "Old habits die hard I see, still trying to take care of me." Buffy and Oz both chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess they do." Oz pulled up a chair and sat between Buffy and Elena. "Even when I have joined an actual Pack and found my mate."

Buffy’s eyes lit up at the happiness in his voice and in his eyes. "Oh, Oz, I’m so happy for you." She stretched to hug him when the rest of what he’d said sank in, "wait, as pack? Oz, you found others? Non-crazy, unlike Veruca, others?"

‘She knows he’s a werewolf? Why?’ clay’s eyes drifted to where Buffy’s hand was sitting on Oz’s thigh and his wolf howled. ‘Why is she touching him?’

Oz placed his hand on top of Buffy’s and Clay cringed, desperately trying to keep his wolf under control. "When I was first bitten I caused a little commotion in my hometown. I never killed anyone but that’s only because of Buffy. She found me, kicked my ass, and then helped me. She was my pack," his eyes softened as he looked at Elena, "until I found The Pack."

"You said she kicked your ass? How is that possible? How does she even know we exist?" nick’s seriousness only lasted for a moment, "is she single?" he smirked and winked at Buffy.

Oz looked at Buffy, "do you want to tell them or you want me to?"

Buffy shrugged, "I’m The Vampire Slayer," she paused, "well more like leader/most senior Vampire Slayer. There are a lot of us now. There isn’t really anything out there that’s ass I can’t kick."

Oz smirked, "she’s not kidding. She’s dies twice and it hasn’t stuck. Plus both times she still won."

"Actually it’s three times," she said, a tad smug, "and each time I come back harder to kill."

Oz looked confused, "three? When?"

"Uber-Vamp," she shrugged, "I got run through. I hear I’m immortal now though. Perks of dying I guess, immune to thrall, got to see Heaven, Immortality." Her eyes turned sad, "we lost some good people in that last battle; some potentials, Anya, and Spike." She couldn’t help the tear that slipped down her cheek at his name.

Oz raised his hand and wiped away the tear, "I’m sorry to hear about Spike. Did you ever tell him how you felt?’

Buffy nodded, "he didn’t believe me. He died saving us all and he didn’t believe I loved him."

Oz pulled her into a one armed side hug. He decided it was best to change the subject. "So Anya died huh. I figured she would have just run. I mean after what Xander did to her, leaving her at the alter and all."

Buffy smiled, grateful at the change of topic, and wiped her eyes. "Well for a while she was back in the vengeance game but ultimately her heart wasn’t in it. She killed a Fraternity, literally, was willing to sacrifice her life to undo it, watched her longtime friend die instead and lost her powers for good before finally rejoining the gang in the Battle for Sunnydale." Buffy smiled fondly, "she’d come a long way in the end."

"Wait," Elena cut in, "you know a vengeance demon? I thought those were a myth." She looked between Oz and Buffy.

"Yeah, I’ve actually know a couple, both are dead now, and they tried to recruit Willow once," Buffy nodded. "The spell she did then was a real doozy. I think we are getting off track though. You said you joined a pack **and** found a Mate."

"We’ve been together almost 3 years now. I joined The Pack just after that incident with Willow and Tara, how is Tara by the way? Not long after that I met Elena and that was it, I just knew we belonged together."

"I thought you had heard about Tara," Buffy said baffled. "She died. It was bad. Warren tried to kill me and a stray bullet caught her in the chest. Willow went black, hair and magic, and tried to end the world, but we got her back. She’s been with Kennedy for almost 2 years now. I know she still misses Tara though, we all do."

"I’m glad she’s happy. I was so angry when I saw her last, but that’s only because I didn’t know my true happiness was out there waiting for me." Oz brought Elena’s hand to his lips.

"So what I’m hearing is you **are** single," nick stated into the silence.

"Yes, I’m single," Buffy laughed, "But that doesn’t mean I’m available." At his pout Buffy winked, "unless you are ready for a couple dozen little girls calling you Daddy."

Nick looked horrified, "NO! I don’t do children. Plus I think I would be a pretty bad example."

Oz and Clay looked puzzled, "a couple dozen?"

"Willow did this spell that unlocked the Slayer in all Potentials. You wouldn’t believe how many parents will do anything to get rid of a child that’s just a little different. We are basically running a home for discarded and abandoned children. Most of the younger ones call me Mom."

"That’s something you always said you wanted, children," Oz started. "How does it feel?"

"I always pictured the whole gang helping me out, but in reality it’s just me and Dawn." Buffy sighed sadly and Oz knew she was thinking about Spike. "It’s hard but I’m actually a pretty good teacher as it turns out. Of course most of the girls are afraid of schools which can be difficult." Buffy and Oz chuckled as the others looked questioningly at each other.

"Our high school tried to kill us every May," Oz supplied.

"Only because it was directly over a Hell Mouth and hence it was EVIL, and not for the ordinary reasons," Buffy added.

"Ok, but did you have to destroy it twice?"

"Of course, the first time didn’t stick," she said as though it was obvious.

Oz nodded, "and I’m sure the girls have heard about Hemery High, and how you burnt down the gym."

"Hey! It was full of Vamp... I mean aspest... wait, no, I do mean Vampires. Evil Vampires, who were trying to kill me and all my classmates, and who did in fact kill my boyfriend, although he did go out fighting." She sighed, "Boy can I pick them or what?" Buffy shook herself. "Elena, how did you ever get Oz to talk so much? The last time I heard this much out of him I was reading his mind."

Elena was baffled, "reading his mind?"

"Aspect of the demon. It’s a long story with a mostly happy ending."

"Meaning no one died and she didn’t go crazy."

"Why don’t you tell me how you guys met Oz?"

It was Clay who spoke up, "he was trespassing, and we were going to kill him."

Buffy was shocked, "seriously?"

"Oh, Clay is very serious about all things Pack related," Nick responded. "Lucky for Oz our Pack Leader, Jeremy, is more level headed. Once he explained the situation Jeremy asked him to join the Pack."

"Two months later," Elena continued, "I got home from a Pack business trip and saw this little redheaded guy taking out Nick like it was nothing. Despite his pretty boy ways Nick is an accomplished fighter," she add in a conspiring tone.

"Hey, I... nevermind."

"He still can’t beat me."

"The only one who can is Jeremy, so that’s not really surprising Clay."

"I’m sure there is someone out there that can beat me," Clay said thoughtfully. To himself he added, ‘or that I would let beat me.’

"Yeah, I wouldn’t worry Nicky, one day Clayton will meet his match," Elena predicted.

‘Maybe I just have.’ He was shocked by his own thoughts, but his Wolf agreed. ‘Mine.’

"Do you guys have a place to stay?" Buffy inquired.

"We were just going to try to find a cheap motel in the morning," Elena answered.

Buffy shook her head, "no that won’t work. Why don’t you guys come with me? We have plenty of space at Slayer Central."

"Thank you," Clay agreed, "that would be great."

Maybe we could get a little sparing in Oz. I’ve missed it."

"Yeah, me too." An idea struck him, "maybe we can see if you can beat Clay."

They all chuckled as they left the club.


	4. Chapter 4

The Prophetess speaks

By the Witch

The Human

And the Slayer Born

He will return

He will be whole

She will be torn

Bite of the Demon

Bite of the Beast

Her choice to make

To prevent the end

Human

Demon

Beast

Slayer

Cordelia’s voice was distant and echoy. Her eyes glassed over, hair floating around her head. As she spoke the air seemed to shimmer, the words taking on a life of their own; becoming Prophecy. A clap of thunder, a flash of lightning get Xander moving towards Cordelia, now collapsed on the floor. Suddenly the lights went out. Xander cursed, Cordy moaned, Angel Vamped out. A garbled scream of pain cut through the darkness seconds before the lights came back on. The eyes of the three occupants of the room were drawn to the writhing naked body lying in the middle of the room.

"OMG, Spike?" Cordy was the first to react.

Xander was next, "but… he… how? Why? How?"

"The Powers That Be," Angel finally growled, "they did this. They always meddle and can’t leave well enough alone."

Still no one had moved towards the man in question quaking naked on the floor. One word, however, kick started Xander into action. "Buffy." It was barely a whisper, more like he simply mouthed the word, but Xander knew. He grabbed a jacket; probably Angel’s, hanging on the back of a chair and moved to cover Spike.

Angel stopped him with a rough hand on his arm. "He might be dangerous."

Xander looked doubtful, "I highly doubt he could hurt a fly right now." He tried shaking off Angel’s grip, unsuccessfully, "we can’t just stand here staring at him. He needs help, and after everything he has done for us in the past year I’m willing to give it to him." Angel was shocked into letting go and Xander pushed forward once more. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you," were his final words before he walked out.

Kneeling next to Spike’s prone figure he draped the jacket over him and asked, "Cord, can you get some water or blood or sugar? Just something, I’m not really sure what we need right now." He looked up in time to see Cordelia nod. "The only reference point I have for a Vampire coming back from the big dust pile is Angel. I seriously doubt you want to go on a killing spree though. Am I right, Spike?"

Spike just continued to shiver and gulp in unneeded air as Xander sat beside him and Cordy gathered whatever she could find.

"I brought my phone too," Cordelia announced as she reentered the room. She passed the supplies off to Xand before continuing, "I think we need to check in with the others. That was some serious shit, and based on the Prophecy it might have affected at least Willow, maybe others."

"Yeah, you make those calls," Xander replied distractedly. He was helping Spike sit up to try eating something. "Oh," he added, "don’t call Buffy."

At Spikes stricken look he began to justify himself only to be cut off by Angel’s menacing words, "we don’t need to worry her with this. She’s moving on, and learning that Willie is back will just upset her new life."

Xander was aghast, "I was going to say we needed more information before going to Buffy. Eventually she will need to be told but if we just drop it on her she will most likely freak out." Xander tried to sooth the dismayed bleached blonde. "Trust me Spike, we will tell her you are back. She would kill us all if we didn’t and she somehow found out."

Angel glared at the trembling mass that was his grandchilde with disgust. ‘There is no reason Buffy ever know that he is back. I will make damn sure he isn’t back for long. He will not take what is mine again.’

***

"So you think what happened to Willow is connected to this Prophecy?" Kennedy asked desperately, "but what does it mean?"

"How is Willow?" Cordelia inquired.

"She’s stable but her magic levels are nearly depleted; it will take time for them to fully restore. Now will you tell me what’s going on?!"

"Hold on," Cordy stalled.

A few beeps later and a distracted British voice came over the line, "hello?"

"Giles, its Cordelia, has anything happened there?"

"We’ve had an attempted escape."

"No, I mean to one of the Scoobies."

There was a pause, "Andrew passed out. The doctors say its blood loss, but he was fine just before he lost consciousness." Giles let out a tired sigh.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kennedy finally asked.

"Oh," Giles uttered, "um, yes, they say he just needs to rest now. They gave him a blood transfusion.

"One more, hold on."

More beeps filled the line before an agitated voice filled the void, "you better have some answers for me Seer."

"What’s happened?" Giles and Cordelia exclaimed simultaneously.

"Watcher?" Faith was taken aback. "Robin lost consciousness during a training session with me and a couple Newbies. Nobody can figure out what’s wrong with him. So, what do you know Seer?"

"By the Witch, the Human, and the Slayer Born He will return," Cordy intoned, "at least that’s how the Prophecy I spouted about an hour ago started. Makes sense though; Willow the Witch, Andrew the Human, and Robin the Slayer Born."

"But what’s wrong with him?" Faith was getting frustrated again. "Why won’t he wake up?"

"Willow was drained of her power, Andrew of his blood. Maybe Robin was drained of his strength," Cordy mused out loud.

"Wait, the Prophecy says ‘He will return,’ who is this ‘he’?"

The silence following Giles question was interrupted by a new voice, "Cord, that’s brilliant. Magic restores him, blood sustains him, and the essence of a Demon strengthens him. That’s where the Slayer skills come from and well, I don’t really know why it had to be Robin. Unless he was born with an echo of his mother’s Demon essence; he is incredibly strong for a human."

"Xander, who are you talking about?!"

"Spike," he explained simply, "he’s come back."


	5. Chapter 5

Dawn walked into the dark club, excited by the prospect of a night out. A quick look around and she spotted Chloe out on the dance floor. Dawn eagerly joined her, waving hello. "This band is good, but they’re no Dingoes!" she shouted close to the shorter girl’s ear.

"Dingoes?" Chloe questioned. "Let’s sit and I’ll introduce you." She gestured to a table nearby that had two guys that were watching them very closely.

As they walked to the table Dawn elaborated, "Dingoes Ate My Baby was the name of a band a good friend of my sister helped start when they were in high school. Of course these days the Dingoes aren’t what they used to be, what with Oz gone. In fact I’m not even sure if they still preform."

"Your sister is friends with a guy in a band? That’s cool. The closest thing I can claim to that is my boyfriend." Chloe winked at Dawn, "he’s super talented."

Dawn laughed, "Trust me; Oz isn’t even the coolest person in my sisters life."

Chloe laughed as she walked up to one of the boys at the table. She turned to face Dawn, "Dawn, I’d like you to meet my majorly cute boyfriend, Derek, and his seriously cute brother/best friend, Simon. Guys this is Dawn." This introduction, followed by handshakes and murmured hellos, was suddenly interrupted when Derek stiffened. "You alright?" Chloe asked concerned.

"Yeah," Derek brushed off her concern and looked around. "Just got a weird feeling." That’s when he saw them, the four Pack werewolves, leaving the club with a small blonde that oozed power.

Dawn caught the brief flash of alarm in his eyes and followed his gaze to the door. What she saw made her perk up, "oh, hey, there’s my sister now. Where does she find all the good looking men?" she wondered giggling with Chloe. "Buffy! Hey Buffy!" she calls out, not knowing if her sister will hear her. The two men following behind her shifted and Dawn is afforded a glimpse of a short red headed man reaching for Buffy’s shoulder. "Oz!" Dawn screeches just as the two turn toward her. She watches as Buffy says something to the others before they all start toward her.

Dawn eagerly hugs Oz as he greats her. "You’ve really grown Dawnie. How have you been?"

"I’ve been good. It’s funny cause I was just telling my friends about you and the Dingoes." Dawn turned back to her group and, ignoring the odd stiffness that had come over them, made introductions where she could. "Buffy, Oz, this is Chloe, we go to school together, her boyfriend Derek, and his brother Simon. Chloe, guys, this is my sister Buffy and her friend Oz that I was just telling you about."

Oz nodded to the younger group. He had heard about these three, the pack had been looking for them for a year now. "Dawn, this is Elena," he reached his hand out for her and pulled her closer, "my mate."

For a moment Dawn’s jaw dropped, stunned, before she squealed, "oh Oz! Does this mean you’ve finally found what you’ve been looking for? A way to control it?" she was literally bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Yes."

Elena hadn’t taken her eyes off Derek, who had Chloe pushed behind him protectively. "We aren’t here to harm you or your mate pup."

"Don’t call me pup," Derek ground out.

Simon interrupted before he could go on, "how dare you speak so freely in mixed company."

Elena smirked at him, "I dare much little sorcerer; especially since I have been searching for this pup for going on a year."

Buffy and Dawn watched in shock and interest until Dawn noticed something from the corner of her eye. It was a young woman dressed like she had just come from Woodstock and she was leading some poor guy towards the side door. "Um, Buff," Dawn nudged her sister and pointed towards the flower child.

Buffy sighed, "Damn, I wanted to watch this drama unfold."

"What is it?" Clay asked focusing on the small blonde powerhouse.

"Duty calls." At his furrowed brow she elaborates, "Vamp."

"We should all go," Oz interjects, "this isn’t really the place for this conversation Elena." Noticing how the younger wolf was trembling and sweating he adds; "besides some of us aren’t in total control of ourselves."

Elena nods taking in Derek’s appearance. "Buffy do you mind if a few more come with us back to your place?" she inquires.

Buffy was getting antsy at the thought of a fight. "Sure, Dawn can take you there and I’ll catch up after I’ve taken care of business."

"Actually do you mind if I stick with you?" Nick finally spoke up. "I’d love to see you in action."

Clay glared at his friend before chiming in, "I think we’d all like that."

Oz chuckled quietly and smirked, "why don’t we all just stick together. Buffy can take care of the situation and we can all enjoy a nice show."

Buffy looked them all over with a raised eyebrow, "fine." She turned to Dawn, "stay close to Oz."

"I’m not 14 anymore," Dawn huffed to her sisters retreating back.

The group followed Buffy out the side door where she paused a moment trying to figure out where the vamp would go. Two giggling girls, obviously drunk, came towards them from the right, and as nothing in their giggled conversation indicated anything about a couple "making out" Buffy turned to the left and continued on. About half a block down and on the right was a dimly lit alley with a necking couple at the end. "Stay here and please keep quiet." Buffy pulled her stake out from her waistband as she stalked towards the couple. As she got closer Buffy taunted the Vampiress, "didn’t your Sire ever teach you manners?"

The Vamp loosened her grip on her prey and he crumbled to the ground. "Slayer," she hissed. "You need to learn to respect your elders."

"And you need to learn not to take things that don’t belong to you," Buffy shot back.

"But this boy does belong to me," the vampiress smiled, bloodied fangs in full view. As she spoke the crumpled form began to move, pulling itself off the ground and stumbling towards the Slayer.

"Damn thrall." Buffy called back over her shoulder, "hey, Oz, can I get you to restrain this enthralled boy for a moment?" as the boy shambled into range Buffy glided to the side and pushed him past her closer to the opening of the alley. Once there she knew Oz could be trusted to deal with him. "Nice try," she said, turning her full attention back to the she vamp.

With that the vampire rushed her. Buffy avoided the attempted tackle and kicked out, connecting with the vamp’s side and sending her into a wall. The fight was short, as this Vamp relied on her looks and thrall, and before long Mr. Pointy was piercing her heart seconds before she turned to dust.

Whipping around and twirling her stake Buffy strode past her audience. "Let’s go home."


	6. Chapter 6

The walk to Slayer central was uneventful and by the time Buffy reached the front door she was thrumming with pent up energy. Oz could tell she was nearly ready to burst. The fight with the flower Vamp hadn’t been enough to expel her energy and now she needed another outlet. Two things would work to dissipate the buildup, a good fight or a good lay. Any one of the wolves following her through the doors of her "house" could give her a good fight, and judging based on the looks Clay kept shooting her way Oz would bet he’d be willing to give her a good lay. In the end it was up to Buffy what she wanted.

"Welcome to Slayer Central, Midwest edition," Oz turned his attention to Dawn as she explained about the house. "The main floor here has your basic living areas, family room, dining room, and an excessively large kitchen plus rooms’ setup for lessons in demonology, witchcraft, and weaponry. The basement is our indoor training space. The second and third floors are bedrooms. Buffy took over the attic; she claims she needs space for ‘her time’." As she’d rambled on Dawn had led them into the kitchen. "Anyone hungry?" she asked opening one of many refrigerators in the spacious room.

"I do need my own space," Buffy argued reaching past her sister and pulling out a bottle of water. "Besides, how often do I actually have my room to myself? Little Ronnie has slept in my bed nearly every night since she got here a month ago."

"Poor thing has nightmares," Dawn explained shutting the fridge without removing anything. She moved over to the back door, "the girls should all be out back training. We got lucky, some of the older potentials had started some form of training, martial arts or kickboxing, so when they got their full Slayer powers it was easier for them. Now they help teach the younger girls."

Buffy paced around the room, water bottle forgotten on a table.

"Buffy, you ok? You look about ready to burst," Oz pointed out.

"Yeah, I’m ok. I just," buffy was cut off as the back door burst open and a steady stream of girls began coming into the room.

As the young slayers descended on the fridges Dawn suggested she show them some rooms to crash or refresh.

Oz nodded, "that sounds great."

"Thanks Dawn," Buffy smiled at her sister. "I’m going to head for the training grounds; I’ll see you all later."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So the house actually has four sets of stairs," Dawn was rambling again. "The Grand stairs at the front and the informal stairs here at the back both lead up to the third floor. The servant’s stairs in the kitchen go up to the attic. There is also a set of stairs on the outside of the house that go up to the attic." As the group reached the third floor Dawn informed that, "the rooms on the second floor are all occupied, but we have a couple rooms here on the third that are empty. Two here in the back and two up at the front."

Derek and Simon shared a look, "we’ll take a room up front," Simon said before following the other two down the hall.

Elena smirks, "Figures." Oz nodded in agreement.

At Dawn’s bemused look Nick elaborated, "They think that if they take a room so far from us they may be able to escape if they decide not to stay."

"Of course we can’t allow that," Clay added, "but there’s no harm in giving them the illusion of privacy."

"Oh."

"Don’t worry Dawn, we’ve got everything handled," Oz reassured her. "We’ll take the two rooms on this end, if you or Buffy need to find us."

"Ok," Dawn nods, "I suppose I’ll let you get settled." She starts to turn away but stops when she thinks of something. "Do you need somebody to go get your stuff? I’m not sure where you left it but I could get someone to collect it."

Elena reached into her pocket for the rental keys, "that’d be great. We left the car in the lot at the club."

"No problem, I’m on it." With that Dawn disappeared down the stairs.

~~~~

"Are we safe here Derek?" Simon questioned quietly as soon as the door closed behind them.

Derek hesitated briefly before answering, "I’m not sure we can fully trust the wolves, and I’m not sure what to make of this Slayer."

"Do you really think any of them mean us harm?" Chloe asked disbelievingly.

"Chloe the Pack isn’t known for being kind to Mutts."

"There is Oz," Simon pointed out. "Maybe if you talk to him, explain your situation, he can help with the Pack."

Looking at Chloe’s hopeful expression Derek sighed. "We will stay for now, but we need to be ready if things should change." Chloe gave him a big smile. "I’ll talk to Oz, but don’t expect too much." Simon seemed relieved to have a break from the constant worrying. _‘No matter how uneasy I feel I have to try, for my mate and my brother.’_

~~~~~

As soon as Dawn was gone Elena gave Oz a look before walking into one of the rooms.

Nick chuckled, "someone has some explaining to do." He clapped Oz on the back, "but seriously dude, why didn’t you tell me you had such a hot friend?"

Oz leveled Nick with a serious look, "she would break you in half without a sweat, trust me, you cannot handle her." Oz thought for a moment before adding, "She’s been through a lot, stuff you couldn’t even imagine, so just take it easy Nicky. Don’t push her." Then he turned and followed Elena into the bedroom.

"I’m not in love with her," Oz started as soon as they were alone. "At least not the way you are thinking."

Elena just glared at him.

"She’s like my best friend," he struggled to explain, "and for a long time she was my family, my pack. She helped me in ways no one else could even begin to comprehend. She was my everything, but it was never a sexual kind of intimacy."

"I get that she meant a lot to you. I just don’t understand how it couldn’t have ever been more. You two are just…" she trailed off. "I understand that I’m being irrational but I can’t explain why I feel like this."

"It’s the mating El. You just have to believe that I love you whole heartedly and would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

"I do, and I love you too, I just can’t stand to see you together with her. You are too close, emotionally, for my peace of mind."

Oz nodded and tried a compromise, "how about if I promise to try not to be in a position where you lose your cool and you try to be nice."

"I’ll try," she grudgingly admits.

"Good, but still, I’m not in love with her." Oz pulled her into a brief kiss, "I do need to go talk to her though."

Elena glared at him.

"She’s holding onto some deep pain and if I can help alleviate some of it I need to." Oz pleaded for her to understand.

El’s face softened, "you’re right, I’m sorry. Go, be with her for a while, but you know the boys will want to go for a run."

"I know," Oz kissed her again, "I love you."

~~~

"What do you think you’re doing Nick?" Clay practically yelled as soon as the door closed.

Nick shrugged, "she’s hot and interesting, and I’m bored, you know me."

Clay stepped closer to his best friend with a growl. "Maybe you should turn your gaze elsewhere."

Nick was speechless. Clay wasn’t usually like this and the friends had even shared women in the past. He was at a loss for what was causing this shift.

The look on Nick’s face helped Clay focus. "Look man, I’m sorry. I’ve just never felt this way before. My wolf is all antsy." Clay shook his head, "maybe I need to go for a run."

"It’s cool, I’ll lay off." Nick agreed, "We all probably need a run, it was a long flight. How about we grab Oz and Elena and head out?"

"Sounds good," Clay headed for the door, but before he could knock it opened.

"Clay," Oz stepped out into the hallway, "did you need something?"

"We were just talking about going for a run. Wanted to see if you two were interested in coming with," Clay informed the younger male.

Oz looked back at Elena, "sounds good, but there’s something I need to take care of first." He planted a kiss on the top of Elena’s head, "why don’t you guys go on without me and I’ll catch up after a bit." With that he headed down the stairs, his mind firmly on his old friend.


	7. Chapter 7

Oz found Buffy star gazing from a swing in a small playground area. She gave no indication of knowing he was there until he spoke. "What’s going on in that head?" he gave the swing a gentle push, setting its rider into motion.

"I was horrible to him," her voice was barely a whisper. "I used him for anything I needed and then when he needed me I told him it all meant nothing. Even then, when I ‘ended’ things, told him it was all meaningless, I knew it was a lie." Buffy paused to fight back the tears, "then later, when he came to the house, I hoped he had heard the lie and was going to make me tell the truth, but instead he hurt me. The pain wasn’t unusual for us, but the way it came out was way out of his norm. I figured that I was finally getting punished for all those times I hurt him when he was just trying to make love to me. I should have known Spike would never mean to hurt me like that," she continued with a mirthless laugh. "As soon as he realized what he was doing he was gone. That was when the true punishment came. For months he was just missing, with no word or explanation. Every night I’d go out and fight, hoping he’d show up, and every night when he didn’t show up and I was getting ready for bed the loneliness would set in. I could hold it at bay during the day, taking care of Dawn, and I could ignore it while I patrolled but that time between patrol and day was always Spike’s time." Buffy wiped away more tears. "It’s no wonder that he didn’t believe me in the end, when I finally admitted to him how I felt. I mean, I waited until he was sacrificing himself to save the world. I didn’t… I don’t deserve his love." It was finally too much and the tears flowed silently but steadily down her cheeks.

Oz held her as the moon slowly gave way to the sun and wished there was some way to heal the heart of his best friend. It wasn’t fair that a woman, a girl, who had given up everything for the sake of the whole world couldn’t have some happiness to call her own, a happiness that would last even after she was gone.

~~~

Buffy sat for a while, staring at nothing in particular, after Oz left. She had heard the howls and figured the wolves had gone for a run. Thinking of them brought one, specifically, to mind. Clayton Danvers was tall, muscular, and dripping sexiness. Physically he was everything she’d ever wanted in a man, with the added benefits of both a brain and a personality. _‘Wait, why do I care if he is physically my type? I love Spike! Just because he is gone doesn’t change that.’_ Buffy abruptly climbed to her feet, deciding she needed to work out some more energy.

~~~

"You think you can just keep me here against my will?" Spike asked. "You think you can keep me from her?"

"Yes, actually I do," Angel replied drolly. "You will stay here and keep your mouth shut until we figure out what to do with you. Oh, and if I had my way you would never see her again. She isn’t yours and she deserves better than you messing up her life again."

"You were the one who walked out on her. You decided what was best for her without even asking her. You gave up being human and stopped looking for a way to secure your soul because some oracle demon told you she would be better off, live longer, if you did. YOU gave up on her! But I’m not good enough for her." Spike was incredulous. "I gave up everything, hunting, human blood, nights, to be with her, to be there for her. I got my soul back for her because she thought the only way a vampire could love was if they had a soul. All because of you!" Spike started to deflate, "I gave my unlife for her, so she could have a chance to be safe and happy. You are the one who isn’t good enough for her."

"So you think you’re better than me?" Angel growled

Spike me the other vamps eyes dead on and proclaimed, "I know I am."

Angel swung, Spike ducked; lashing out with one bare foot, connecting with Angel’s side sending the older male into the wall. "You really want to challenge me Angelus? You know I’ll beat you." Spike taunted him as he pulled himself up. Angel charged him with a roar. Spike lithely moved out of the way, landing a blow to Angel’s jaw. He swiftly followed up with an elbow to the back of the head and a knee to the face. Angel collapsed to the ground bleeding and unconscious. Spike let his gaze linger on the downed vamp before raising his eyes to Xander. "Where is my girl?"

"I… She... What," Xander sputtered, trying to figure out a way to convince Spike not to seek out Buffy without ending up like Angel.

"Spike, please stop and think," Cordy’s voice was calm. "It has been more than a year since you burned up and took Sunnydale with you." Her tone turned sad, "Buffy was in a bad place after. She refused to stray too far from the crater in case you somehow managed to crawl from the ruins. She hardly ate, barely slept, and wouldn’t talk to anyone for weeks." Tears gathered in her eyes, "We thought we were going to lose her, and then the strangest thing happened, one of the girls found your duster. She wrapped herself up in it and cried for hours." Cordy couldn’t help the small upturn of her lips and slight shrug. "Seven days later she emerged from her room, black pants, clunky boots, and red top with your duster thrown over it all announcing that she was starving and did we have a plan for where to go next. I swear we didn’t know if we wanted to hug her or hit her."

"What are you trying to say Seer?" Spike spat.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "what I’m saying vampire," she sneered, "is that if you suddenly show up we don’t know how she’ll react."

"And how do you think she’ll react," Spike sneered back, "when she finds out that you hid the fact that I was back from her?"

Xander groaned, "He’s right. Buff won’t take that well at all." He closed his eyes and sighed, "I think it’s time for a Scooby meeting."


	8. Chapter 8

Clay slipped back into the woods as he heard a door open. Her scent came to him on a soft gust of wind and he tried to sink further into shadows, not wanting her to see his blood soaked fur.

"You don’t have to hide Clay," Buffy called out.

He took a moment to shift back into human but stayed in the darkness the trees provided. "I didn’t want you to have to see me that way, the after image of the violence."

She smiled, "exposing your dark side doesn’t frighten me, hiding it does. I have seen more damage done by hiding the darkness, or violence, than I have by sharing it with those you trust and care about."

Still Clay stayed put.

"So are you going to come out or do I need to go in there and get you?" Buffy asked with a huff.

Clay chuckled, "also, I’m naked."

"Oh," Buffy blushed, "well it’s not like you have anything I haven’t already seen, but if you’re shy I could get you a robe or towel." She turned to head back inside.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you." As Clay stepped into the growing light Buffy caught her first glimpse of his rippling muscles and wished she hadn’t taunted him. She needed a distraction before she made a complete fool of herself. None came and before she knew it Clay was standing before her in all his glory. Riley had been big, well tall, but he’d had flab. Spike had been all slim and toned muscle. Clay was something else entirely. His chest and arm muscles were clearly defined and tapered into a trim waist. His legs were thickly muscled and lightly dusted with hair. He stood tall and proud, not like Riley who always seemed to hunch a little as though trying to hide or like Spike who swaggered with arrogance. He knew he was an impressive specimen and he had no problem showing it to the world.

For a moment Buffy was lost in lustful thoughts, but a girlish squeal quickly brought her back to reality. She swiftly turned and closed the door behind her before facing Clay once more. "I really should get you some clothes, and maybe you guys should stash a bag in the woods around here." Buffy stifled a laugh, "all the girls are going to know what she saw in a matter of minutes."

"Sorry," chimed a female voice from behind Clay, "we thought everyone would still be asleep."

"No worries," Buffy assured, "but a little heads up; Slayers don’t sleep much, and the older we get, the longer we are a Slayer, the less sleep we need."

Oz couldn’t help but notice the haunted look in her eyes, but as he moved to approach Buffy his mate slid slightly to block his path. He smiled at Elena’s possessive actions, understanding her desire to keep his naked form to herself. It had taken some time for him to get over his urge to remove their pack mate’s eyeballs every time she shifted around them. Oz embraced her from behind, simultaneously accepting her natural instincts and reassuring her of her place in his life. In return she relaxed into his hold and sighed contentedly.

Buffy turned to the door, carefully pulling it open, "if you guys give me a minute I’ll bring everyone something to wear." She needed to get away from the happy sight of two people in love before she broke down into tears.

A few moments later a composed Buffy returned with an armful of clothes. She held out pants for the guys and a dress for Elena. Buffy somehow managed to be alone with Clay as she handed him a pair of pants. Against her better judgement she couldn’t help but tease him a bit more. "You know, I didn’t see any underwear when I was digging these out of your bag."

Clay smirked as he pulled on the proffered material, doing up the zipper but leaving the button undone. "That’s because I don’t wear any, darlin’."

Buffy’s face heated at the admission and she tried to remember the last time she’d reacted to someone in this way. Her face fell a bit when she realized it was with Spike.

Clay jumped in fast when he saw the sudden change in her. "Look, Buffy, I’m not trying to take his place. I may not have known the guy, but if you cared about him he must have been special. All I’m asking for is a crumb; a bit of your time, your attention, a chance to see if this flirting could lead to anything. We can go as slow as you want."

Clay had barely finished speaking when Buffy stretched up and kissed him. Spike had always tasted like cigarettes, alcohol, and blood; it was oddly pleasant. Clay had a unique taste too; it was citrus and mint but still with that coppery hint of blood, and again Buffy found it oddly pleasant.

After a millisecond of surprise Clay kissed her back, ‘She tastes like sunshine. How is that possible?’ and after another brief second pushed to deepen the kiss. He felt her relax into him and ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, requesting access that Buffy eagerly granted. His bliss was short lived however as Buffy suddenly jerked back, breaking out of his hold.

A hand shot to her lips and her eyes danced along the ground, looking at anything but Clay. "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that." She shook her head and slowly backed away, "it’s not right. I’m not ready," she mumbled, talking mainly to herself, before she turned and ran inside hoping to hide for a bit. Her hope was short lived when she realized Clay had followed her up to her room. She swiftly tried slamming the door on temptation, but he must have been expecting that and was too quick for her.

"Buffy, talk to me," Clay implored. "I will go at the pace you deem necessary but I don’t think whatever this is between us is going to go away." He caught her arm as she tried moving away from him. "Hell darlin’, I don’t want it to go away. Feels too damn good." He used a finger under her chin to lift her face. "Can’t you feel it? A warmth in your chest, a tingling in your veins, a rightness. Tell me you can feel it," he begged.

Suddenly Buffy threw herself at him, jumping a little to wrap her arms around his neck, lifting her legs to encircle his waist, and pulling his mouth down to meet hers. Clay’s hands went to her hips, his fingers splaying wide, just barely grazing ass. Their mouths crashed together, tongues dueling, parting only briefly to gasp for air. With Clay’s hands holding her secure Buffy lets her hands wander into the limited space between them, alternating between undoing the buttons on her shirt and mapping the hard planes of his chest.

Clay slowly, carefully, worked his way to the bed in the corner of the room. His knees bumped the mattress as Buffy shrugged out of her shirt, revealing a combination of red satin and black silk. Clay released his hold, letting the blonde beauty fall onto the bed with a bounce. "You are glorious," he breathed, placing a knee on the bed between her splayed legs.

His words caused a hot blush to form on Buffy’s face. Her hands reached out to him again, sliding through the dusting of hair on his chest before dropping to trace the happy trail leading into his pants. His hands came to rest on her softly rounded hips, running up her trim tummy, briefly cupping her satin covered breasts. They skimmed over her collarbones and up her neck until he held her face, gently caressing the smooth skin of her cheeks. Her hands came up to cup his before roaming up his corded arms, griping his broad shoulders, nails digging in, pulling him closer. Her lips met his once more, breaking the spell that held them entranced. Their movements became frantic. His hands left her face to push her shorts to the floor. Buffy helped him to shed his own pants before eagerly exploring his aroused manhood. Her touches caused him to growl deep in his throat and rip her remaining clothes from her body. Despite his own body’s urgency to fill the woman under him he resisted, taking the time to ensure her readiness. His fingers found her wet and hot, he teased her a moment, enjoying the quick gasp of air his playing elicited. The flick of his thumb, the twist and curve of two fingers inside her, had her releasing a low moan and begging for more. Satisfied Buffy was ready he entered her with one swift thrust, stilling completely once buried deep inside. He forced his body to remain steady until she moved, a shift of her hips, and he began slowly thrusting. As their breaths became more ragged his thrusts became faster, harder, and she readily met him, move for move. With one last push he froze deep inside her. Her back arched up off the bed. His forearms strained as he braced himself above her. Her nails dug into his back leaving read welts and little half-moons. His face buried in her neck, visage contorted, canines lengthened and buried in the curve of her shoulder.

She screamed her release.

His wolf howled, "Mine!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Is it really true?" Andrew’s voice was weak but excited. "Spike is back?"

Willow’s hesitant voice cut in, "does Buffy know?"

"Yes he is back," Xander answered.

"Is it a good idea to tell Buffy?" Giles put in. "she has just started to move on with her life."

"It could be temporary," Robin added. "If we tell her and then he disappears, who knows how she will handle it. We could have another complete breakdown on our hands."

"What do you think will happen if we do not tell her and she finds out on her own?" Faith questioned. "We all know how she feels about people keeping things, especially important things, from her."

"True," Willow slowly agreed, "But if it is just for a little bit and then he goes away again…"

"Willow," Xander’s voice was stern, "how would you feel? You have moved on, and you are happy with Kennedy, but if Tara came back, even temporarily would you want to know? Even if you only had a day, or even just an hour, would you want that time?"

Willow’s voice was subdued, "yes, even if it was only to say goodbye, let her know I was okay."

"Maybe we should inquire as to how she is doing currently," Giles reasoned. "We could ask Dawn…"

"Ask Dawn what?"

The group was silenced by the sudden intrusion.

"Dawnster," Xander laughed nervously, "you are here, online. What’s going on?"

Picking up on his discomfort, Dawn replied, "I should be asking you that."

Willow chirped in, hoping to distract the younger girl, "Dawnie, shouldn’t you be in class?"

Diverted for the moment,

Dawn sighs, "We got out early, on account of Zombie."

"Zombie," Giles gasped.

"Holy shit, that’s awesome," exclaimed Andrew.

Dawn huffed, "it was okay, and it’s all taken care off now, but…" Dawn paused. "Are you guys having a Scooby meeting? Without me? That’s so not cool."

"It’s not like that D. we just had some stuff we needed to discuss," Faith tried.

"I don’t think that was helpful Faith," Robin informed his partner.

Faith cringed, "sorry, I didn’t mean it like that."

"Dawn, how is everything going in Wichita? All is well?" Giles decided to try and get back on topic. "Are you sure we don’t need to be looking into this zombie incident?"

"Everything here is good. Buffy is better. The zombie was a side effect of the ‘pups’ girlfriend, Chloe, having a nightmare."

"The ‘pups" girlfriend? Who is that?"

"Side effect of a nightmare?"

"Zombies are awesome!"

"Buffy’s doing better?"

"Do we know a Chloe?"

"The dead potential Chloe?"

Everyone was talking at once and Dawn had to yell to get their attention. "Guys, stop! One at a time." Once they had all quieted Dawn continued. "The pup is what Nick calls Derrick, causes he’s the youngest. He’s lucky they don’t call him mutt. His girlfriend is my new kind of friend Chloe, not the dead potential. Apparently she’s a Necromancer, and doesn’t have full control of her abilities while asleep." Dawn took a deep breath, "Buffy is better; crying less, smiling more. Oz showing up has helped I think."

"Oz!!!" Willow, Xander, and Giles exclaimed together.

"Right, that’s why I got on. I wanted to tell you guys about Oz." Dawn easily slipped into happily relaying her information. "Oz is great. He joined a pack, well THE North American Pack, and found his mate. They helped him learn to coexist with his wolf and now he can change whenever he wants. Her voice saddened, "he was sorry to hear about Tara and Anya and Spike." Her voice perked back up, "he and Buffy talked for a while and I think she actually slept afterwards. He also brought some of his pack mates with him and Buffy has been spending some time with one of them named Clayton. He is really cool. He even makes Buffy laugh. He and Buffy…"

"He and Buffy?" once again the group was interrupted by an unexpected addition. "Has Buffy moved on?" Spike’s voice held a sadness nobody could miss.

Dawn was the first to find her voice. "Spike?" she choked out, "is it really you?"

When Spike’s face appeared on the screen over Xander’s shoulder everyone was shocked at his appearance. They had heard that he was back, no longer dust in the wind, but actually seeing him was something else. It made it more real.

"How is this possible?" Dawn continued. "How are you? Where were you? Does Buffy know?" this last question was asked more to the group then to Spike individually.

There was a tense silence and the sense of shuffling feet as the group tried to decide how to answer the younger Summer’s question.

"Powers that Meddle," Spike said, "they sent me back. Something is happening and they decided they needed the Slayer’s Champion to help stop it." Spike paused, letting his words sink in. there was one thing he couldn’t let go of though, "who is he?"

***

"Wow," Buffy breathed as she caught her breath. "I mean really, wow."

Clay rolled off of Buffy to lie next to her. "You were amazing. "He smiled at her, gently brushing away the hair stuck to her face.

Buffy blushed, not sure how to take the compliment. It had been years since she had last been with someone and then it had been… _‘No, do not think about him. Now is not the time’ _

Clay sensed the change in her mood. The dreaminess slid off her face to be replaced by a slightly pained expression. "Don’t," he told her softly. "Don’t think about those things now." He traced his fingers over her brow, down her cheek to her jaw, and then proceeded down the column of her neck, lingering on the already fading marks he had left. _‘I cannot believe I bit her.’ _He remembered his wolf’s howl. _‘Damn! Did I really try to claim her? What am I 14 and unable to control myself?’_

His fingers smoothing the skin at the base of her neck where it met her shoulder brought back the seconds before her release. "Okay, let’s talk about you biting me then." The pinch of pain, as his teeth had punctured her skin, had coupled with the, nearly overwhelming, pleasure building between them and had catapulted her over the edge into the most brilliant orgasm she had ever experienced.

Clay was quick to apologize, "I am sorry. Sometimes you just cannot control the wolf."

Buffy just as quickly brushed his apology off, "do not get me wrong, I very much enjoyed it. I can also understand about losing control. I don’t blame you for what you did, but I also know that bites frequently have…"

"Side effects," Clay finished for her. "You are right of course. Usually a bite from a werewolf would initiate the change." The look that flashed across her face spurred him to continue, "This was different though. My wolf tried to claim you, so you don’t have to worry about dying painfully while your body tried to complete the change." It was immediately obvious that his words had not been as comforting as intended.

"You tried to claim me?" Buffy’s voice was low and it sent a chill down Clay’s spine. "Why would you do that? What gives you the right?" without giving him a chance to respond or explain she continued, "You need to leave, now."

Clay sensed there was nothing he could do to get through to her at the moment so he slowly rose and pulled on his clothes. When he reached the door he turned back to look at Buffy, he opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he’d even started.

"Just get out."


	10. Chapter 10

"Something has happened to Buffy," Angel burst into the room.

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked as he swiveled around to face the bigger vampire.

"What’s going on?"

"Did he say something about Buffy?"

"I think he said something happened to her."

"How would he know anything about Buffy?"

"Hush a mo’ and let the great forehead speak," Spike barked to the rest of the curious Scooby gang murmuring in the background. "What’s happened?"

Angel, whose face had been pinched with concern when he burst through the door suddenly, looked guilty and reluctant to share.

"Spit it out poofter," Spike snarled.

Slowly Angel shared what he knew, "something has happened to Buffy. I do not know what exactly but I can’t feel her anymore so something bad must have happened."

"That is just crazy," Dawn scoffed. "It is still daylight here. Which means Buffy is on the grounds and hasn’t left for slaying or training yet."

"What do you mean you ‘can’t feel her’?" Willow asked cautiously.

Spike’s face was thunderous, "you had enough presence of mind to claim her but you couldn’t stop yourself from almost killing her?"

"You claimed my Slayer, my daughter?" Giles was livid, sounding almost Ripperesqe.

Angel squirmed at the watcher’s tone. "Only a partial claim," he defended his actions.

"Does he really think that makes it better?" Dawn asked incredulously.

"It was not a conscious decision at the time," he once again tried to defend himself. "It did allow me to help keep her safe though."

Spike scoffed, "from minor vamps maybe. It didn’t help her against the First and its crazy Bringers."

"Maybe it would be prudent to have Dawn check on Buffy," Robin tried to bring a little reason to the group. "This way we will know for sure that she is ok."

Dawn quietly excused herself while Spike continued to glare at his grandsire.

For a while nobody dared to speak, but eventually Faith reached her breaking point and blurted, "How could you not know about his ‘partial claim’? I mean you and B were pretty hot and heavy there for a while and I don’t see you as the type to deny yourself such a rare delicacy."

Spike turned his glare on her, "Buffy didn’t want it, and I wanted Buffy. No way was I doing anything to jeopardize my getting what I wanted by being greedy." His face pulled into a self-deprecating smirk, "may be love’s bitch and I ain’t a fuckin’ idiot."

***

Dawn rushed down the hallway to the stairs leading to Buffy’s room. She was halfway up said stairs when she, almost literally, ran into Clay coming down. "Hey," she chirped out somewhat breathlessly.

"Hey," he grunted back but didn’t stop moving.

Dawn stared after him for a moment then, figuring she’s get more from Buffy, continued up the stairs. She was unprepared for what she found when she reached Buffy’s open bedroom door. Her sister was sitting in the middle of her bed, wrapped in her sheet, with her knees pulled to her chest, arms resting on her knees, face buried in her arms. The part that shocked Dawn the most was that her sister was crying. Only a couple months ago crying had been the norm, but Buffy had given up her tears and thrown herself into training the new young Slayers that seemed to keep popping up. What was especially strange about these tears was that Clay had to of just been there. Dawn thought that he and Buffy had really hit it off and could not fathom what had happened that would have her sister in tears. Dawn walked farther into the room and looked down as her foot kicked something semi-solid. It was a pair of jeans. That is when her sisters state of dress, or undress to be more accurate, hit her. Buffy was wrapped in a bed sheet and her clothes were scattered across the bedroom floor. "Oh my god," she could not stop the whispered words from escaping and Buffy’s head shot up to stare at her.

"What are you doing here Dawn?" Buffy tried to suppress her sobs.

"I was just coming to check on you," Dawn said. Without waiting to second guess herself she continued, "I saw Clay on the stairs. Are you okay?"

Buffy shook her head, "not really." She continued with a mirthless smirk, "Surprise, surprise Buffy messed up again."

Dawn eased onto the bed with her sister. "What do you mean?" looking into her siblings face she added, "I mean, I can tell you slept with him, but you are both consenting adults… unless you didn’t consent." Dawn looked horrified, "OMG, Buffy did he rape you?" Dawn babbled on, "I didn’t get that kind of feeling from him, either when we met or just now on the stairs but who can really tell with someone who is more than human."

Buffy shook her head again, "no Dawn, he didn’t rape me; not how you mean anyway." She put her face back into her hands, so her voice was muffled, "why can’t I have a nice normal relationship? Why does everyone I’m attracted to come with fangs and a penchant for biting?"

"He bit you then?" Dawn guessed. "That’s not so bad. Unless, does that mean you are going to change into a werewolf?" Buffy mumbled a no so Dawn continued, "So, that’s good. It could be worse, right?" Buffy looked up at Dawn with a slight glare. "It’s worse? How?"

Buffy contemplated not telling her sister about Clay’s attempt to claim her but looking into Dawn’s eyes she saw real concern and figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell someone. "He tried to claim me." Her words opened newly shut floodgates and once again Buffy found herself crying uncontrollably.

Dawn had gotten really good at dealing with her sister’s tears but that did not mean it was ever easy to watch her cry. "Buffy, I’m sorry, I know that must be hard for you but I’ve got some good news." Buffy looked at her skeptically. "Well I was talking to Willow and Xander and Giles and Andrew when Angel burst into the room with Xander yelling about how you were in danger and how he couldn’t feel you anymore." Buffy raised an eyebrow. "With some slight coercion he finally admitted to partially claiming you when he almost killed you when you were trying to save his life after the whole Faith’s poisoned arrow thing."

"How is that good news!" Buffy interrupted.

"I’m getting to that," Dawn explained. "Apparently Clay trying to claim you broke Angel’s partial claim. That is why he couldn’t feel you anymore and why he was so certain that something had happened to you. So see it is good news, you are no longer claimed by your stupid brooding ex."

***

"I want to tell Buffy I’m back," Spike declared.

"I thought we agreed we would wait and see how Buffy was doing first?" Giles began. "This may not be the best time for such news."

"The longer we keep it from her the worse off we all will be." He hesitated before continuing, "Plus it feels wrong not going to her, like it’s natural to be at her side, like breathing. I think I am meant to be at the side of the slayer. There is a reason I was brought back and I am sure it isn’t to hang around in the background waiting." Spikes words, while full of passion and honesty, didn’t seem to do much to sway his audience to his view point.

"NO!" Angel was adamant.

"I need to see her, talk to her. Even if I am only temporarily back there are things that need to be cleared up, explained. Things I think we both need to say." Spike shrugs, "and who knows maybe that is why I am here."

"Maybe you could write her a letter," Willow suggested cheerily. "You could tell her all the things you couldn’t or didn’t before." Looking at the others for support she continued, "we could say it just appeared."

Xander stared at her in shock, or maybe horror. "If Tara ever shows up I’ll tell her to write you a letter Willow."

Willow frowned, "I’m trying to think of solutions Xand."

"I know and I’m sorry." Xander ran his hand over his face. "Besides the letter would be entirely one sided and wouldn’t give Buffy the chance to say the things she needs to say."

Cordelia interrupted, "are you all just conveniently forgetting about the prophecy I just spouted? If it is talking about bringing him back and him helping stop the end of the world then don’t you think he might be hanging around for a while? And if he’s going to be hanging around we aren’t going to be able to hide him from Buffy for long, especially with all this talk of biting."

"Cordelia is right." Giles began polishing his glasses. "It seems that a trip to Kansas is required."


End file.
